“Audacious Minor Immortal!”
“Daring to steal the Emperor’s Essence, you are sentenced to suffer the torment of Three Thousand Cycles of Reincarnation.”
“Since you desire to bear children, then go to the Three Thousand Worlds and give birth to children for those Destined Children who struggle with offspring.”
Chu Shengsheng’s soul was in excruciating pain, and her consciousness quickly plunged into darkness. She had no idea how much time had passed when a basin of cold water was splashed over her head. She awoke in a bone-chilling cold.
“Now that you’re awake, stop pretending to be dead!”
Her eyes snapped open, and she saw a lavishly dressed madam standing before her, scrutinizing her with a critical gaze. The woman said, “Your looks are quite good, but you’re too thin. With Madam Wang’s training for a month, I guarantee you’ll become the top courtesan of our Drunken Flower Pavilion.”
Before she could speak, the woman sneered and continued:
“Once you’ve entered this door, don’t think about leaving.”
“Be sensible and stay here quietly. Learn the rules tonight, and start receiving clients tomorrow.”
With that, the door was slammed shut and locked.
Seeing this, Chu Shengsheng sat up from the floor as memories flooded her mind.
It turned out she was originally a Minor Immortal from the Ninth Heaven, in charge of marriage destinies, named “Sheng Sheng.” Driven by a moment of greed, she had attempted to steal the Emperor’s Essence to conceive a child for herself.
Unsurprisingly, she was caught, arrested, and sentenced to suffer the torment of reincarnation.
Now, in this Small World, her identity was that of an orphan girl who had been abducted from Jiangnan to the capital. Just yesterday, she had been sold for fifty taels of silver into this hidden brothel called the “Drunken Flower Pavilion.”
“Damn it, I only stole a little bit of the Essence, right? I didn’t even succeed in conceiving! Was it necessary to punish me like this?”
She felt like crying but had no tears. Starting off in such a miserable situation, and now she had to give birth to children for Destined Children who were sterile?
Is this something a human should do?
Just then, a ding-dong sounded in her mind.
[Childbirth System binding in progress…]
[Binding successful!]
Childbirth System? Her eyes immediately lit up. Wasn’t this like a pillow delivered just as she was feeling drowsy?!
“System?” she immediately tried calling out in her mind.
[Here.] A cold mechanical voice rang out. [Detected that the Host is in a Punishment World. This System will assist the Host in completing childbirth tasks to offset the Emperor’s punishment.]
“What functions do you have?”
[Basic functions: detect male fertility, provide conception plans, and offer pregnancy protection. Completing tasks will earn Points, which can be exchanged for advanced functions such as “Talent Acceleration Package,” “Special Potions,” “Identity Clues,” etc.]
[Additionally, for each world completed, one-tenth of your cultivation will be restored, and the seal on the Emperor’s Essence will be unlocked.]
Hmm?
After listening, Chu Shengsheng focused all her attention on the last part, her eyes growing even brighter.
“Unlock the seal on the Emperor’s Essence? What does that mean? Did I actually succeed in stealing it back then?”
[Yes. However, due to the Host’s current special circumstances, tasks must be completed to unlock the seal. The Emperor’s Essence is currently stored in the System’s warehouse.]
“Hahahaha.”
She hadn’t expected that she had actually succeeded in stealing it in the end. How satisfying! Once her Three Thousand Cycles of Reincarnation were over, she’d go back and make the Emperor an unwitting father, hahaha!
Just as she was laughing uncontrollably, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the door.
“Quick! Stop him!”
“This young master is drunk, don’t let him barge in—”
Bang!
The door was violently shoved open.
A tall, imposing man staggered in. His dark brocade robe was stained with wine, and his jade crown was slightly askew, yet it couldn’t conceal the noble aura that surrounded him.
His eyes were dazed, his face flushed, clearly heavily intoxicated.
“Get out, all of you…” The man waved away the brothel attendant who tried to step forward to support him, then closed the door behind him.
Chu Shengsheng immediately suppressed her smile, pretending to be frightened as she retreated step by step until her back pressed against the cold wall.
In her mind, she was calculating how to kill this man.
And by the moonlight filtering through the window, she could clearly see his face—
Sword-like eyebrows extending toward his temples, a tall and straight nose bridge, thin lips pressed tightly together. Even in his drunken state, he carried a sharp, oppressive aura.
This man was not to be trifled with, and the current situation was off. She didn’t want to be “opened up” as soon as she arrived.
Just as she was scheming how to kill him, the System’s voice urgently sounded:
【Warning! Key character of this world detected: Crown Prince Pei Zhen of the Great Liang Kingdom!】
【Target status: Infected with “Cold Marrow Poison” for three years, fertility impaired, probability of difficulty conceiving offspring: 99.8%】
【Mission issued: Bear a healthy child for the Sterile Crown Prince】
【Mission time limit: Within three years】
【Failure penalty: Soul Tearing, eternally trapped in the reincarnation cycle of this world】
After hearing this, Chu Shengsheng couldn’t help but curse inwardly, ‘Damn.’
This drunken man before her was actually her mission target in this world—that Sterile Crown Prince!
At that moment, Pei Zhen had already walked up to her, leaned down, and pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
“You are… new here?” His voice was hoarse, the smell of alcohol wafting toward her.
Seeing this, her mind began to race with calculations.
Since he was the mission target, she couldn’t kill him. It was just the right time to change her approach.
Moreover, this was also an excellent opportunity to get close to him!
If she missed tonight, given her current status, she might never see the Crown Prince again in this lifetime.
“Yes.”
Thinking this, tears welled in her eyes as she pretended to be afraid, her voice trembling as she said, “Young master… save me, I don’t want to entertain guests…”
Pei Zhen narrowed his eyes. In his drunken state, he saw a pair of moist eyes, filled with fear and fragility.
This face was not stunningly beautiful, yet it held an inexplicable allure that stirred something in his heart.
Today, he had been forced to drink by several of his brothers. Those men deliberately brought up the topic of “heirs,” each word stabbing at his sore spot.
Three years ago, during that assassination attempt, although he survived, he was infected with a strange poison. The Imperial Physician privately concluded: It would likely be difficult for him to have offspring.
Although this matter had not been made public, rumors had long been circulating both in the court and among the people.
Although his father, the Emperor, had not explicitly stated it, he had recently been summoning other princes to the palace for discussions with increasing frequency.
What all of this implied was self-evident!
He needed an heir, a successor who could silence the endless gossip.
But the palace had arranged nearly dozens of concubines for him, one after another, yet none had become pregnant. After all these years, he was tired.
Even physically and mentally exhausted.
Looking at the pleading gaze of the woman before him, Pei Zhen suddenly felt a softness in his heart, thinking that tonight, he might as well indulge for one night.
Just one night, unrelated to heirs, unrelated to anything.
“What is your name?” Thinking this, he released her hand, slumped onto the edge of the bed, and asked.
“Sheng Sheng.”
“Good. Tonight, you shall serve me.”
Me?
Chu Shengsheng was inwardly surprised. This man actually revealed his identity without any concealment—was he too drunk?
But regardless, this was a good start.
So, she immediately walked to the table and poured a cup of tea. With her back turned to him, she retrieved something from the System warehouse—it was the beginner’s gift pack given when she bound with the System: 【Emotional Bond Powder】.
System Explanation: This medicine can create a psychological suggestion on a single target, causing them to involuntarily think of the person who administered it when feeling restless, and generate a desire for closeness. The effect lasts for three months and can be stacked.
Colorless and odorless, it dissolves instantly in water.
To complete the task quickly, she had to resort to some tricks.
“Young master, have a sip of tea to sober up.”
Following her character’s persona, she timidly held the teacup to his lips.
Pei Zhen took a sip from her hand, then pulled her into his embrace.
Clothes slipped, candlelight flickered.
Chu Shengsheng let out a muffled groan, her nails digging into his back. The man paused for a moment, a flicker of clarity flashing in his drunken eyes, but it was soon drowned out by desire.
Outside the window, the moonlight gradually faded.
(Three thousand words omitted here.)